KEY POINTS:
When people spend more waking hours at work each week than they do with their loved ones, it's important that the workplace has a solid sense of community.
And the need to ensure employees feel an attachment to their place of work has become more important as the competition for skilled workers continues to grow.
The notion of community is a strong one for travel agency Flight Centre, which has a firm policy of egalitarianism in all its offices.
"Flight Centre's team culture is the backbone of everything we do and what makes our company such a great place to work," says Flight Centre (NZ) HR director Sue Matson.
"One of our most important philosophies is the importance of egalitarianism in the workplace. Egalitarianism means people are focused on their core role at work, rather than position or hierarchy and helps people quickly into the team culture. On a daily basis, this means everyone in the company, no matter what their role, wears the same corporate uniform and manages their own administration work - so there are no personal assistants or receptionists. No matter what their position, everyone is entitled to the same work privileges."
Ms Matson said new employees were often surprised to find there was a uniform, particularly in the support office.
"We find that it really does help instill the importance of our employees' achievements, rather than their appearance," she said.
Flight Centre's approach to community in the workplace will be on display at the New Zealand Herald Your Career Expo, to be held at the ASB Showgrounds in Auckland on September 27-28. The expo will bring employers and potential employees together in the biggest careers event in the country, with a two-day series of workshops, presentations and exhibitions across four pavilions.
Surveys by workplace analysts JRA (NZ) have found that the very best workplaces in New Zealand understand the importance of the social side of work life - so much so that "Sense of Community" is recognised as one of the four pillars of a Great Workplace.
JRA's Amy Silvester-Brooks said that employees who had a strong sense of belonging to their organisation were much more engaged in the workplace.
"Our research has found that organisations with an engaged workforce enjoy 23 per cent greater employee productivity than the New Zealand average, as well as 5 per cent greater staff retention levels," she said. "People who have more fun support each other better, and have more co-operative working relationships within and between teams."
JRA is sponsor of the Your Career Expo's Great Places to Work pavilion and is founder of the unlimited/JRA Best Places to Work in New Zealand Survey.
* www.bestplacestowork.co.nz
* www.yourcareerexpo.co.nz
